The Brechfa Forest is an area of

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire ( cy, Sir Gaerfyrddin; or informally ') is a county in the south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. The county is known as ...

, south

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. Brechfa Forest is the 'modern' name for part of the ancient Glyn Cothi Forest. From before records began in the 6th century the communities in the 15 villages which encircle Glyn Cothi Forest were managing it to provide employment, building materials, products, and grazing. At various times the forest has been the refuge of Welsh Princes fighting the Norman Invasion, a Royal Hunting Forest, and for two centuries was the 'Texas' of Wales, producing large quantities of oil for lamps. and was a major supplier of timber for the trenches and explosives during World War One. The Forestry Commission was established to increase timber production during World War One taking control of woodland which was no longer productive. Like the New Forest and the Forest of Dean, Glyn Cothi Forest was still being actively managed by the local community at this point and was a major supplier of timber for the trenches, as well as oil and explosives. During the depression in the 1930s the UK government purchased land which had been part of the original Glyn Cothi forest but had been converted to agriculture. Much of the planting work to create conifer plantations and construction of forest roads was carried out by young unemployed men from a

Ministry of Labour The Ministry of Labour ('' UK''), or Labor ('' US''), also known as the Department of Labour, or Labor, is a government department responsible for setting labour standards, labour dispute mechanisms, employment, workforce participation, training, a ...

work camp. Many came from the distressed

coal mining Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...

communities, and were recruited for training in one of a number of Instructional Centres created by the Ministry, most of which were on

Forestry Commission The Forestry Commission is a non-ministerial government department responsible for the management of publicly owned forests and the regulation of both public and private forestry in England. The Forestry Commission was previously also resp ...

property; by 1938, the Ministry had 38 Instructional Centres across Britain. The hutted camp in Brechfa was later used to house Basque children who were refugees from the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlism, Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebeli ...

. Management and maintenance of the forest continued to be a major source of employment for local residents until the 1980s when Forestry Commission policies changed to increased mechanisation and subcontracting of work. Carmarthenshire County Council then started regeneration projects to develop Brechfa Forest and the adjoining Llanllwni Mountain as tourist attractions and for recreation. Brechfa Forest provides open access space for walkers, horse riders and cyclists. Tourism is the second largest source of employment in the villages surrounding the forest. It has become one of Wales' prime destinations for mountain bikers, and is home to several trails designed specifically for mountain biking. With plans to build a Mountain bike centre. The area is now one of the pilot areas for Wales on supporting the development of a strong sustainable local economy through supporting the communities to take the lead in the development of the area. From 1 April 2013 the Countryside Council for Wales, Environment Agency Wales, the Forestry Commission Wales and some aspects of the Welsh Government's activities was merged into a single Welsh Government sponsored body,

Natural Resources Wales Natural Resources Wales ( cy, Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru) is a Welsh Government sponsored body, which became operational from 1 April 2013, when it took over the management of the natural resources of Wales. It was formed from a merger of the Coun ...

(Welsh: Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru. This included the transfer of the management responsibilities of Brechfa Forest to

References

Field, J. Learning Through Labour: Training, unemployment and the state, 1890-1939, University of Leeds, 1992,

External links

Natural Resources Wales: Brechfa ForestBrechfa Village. Provides information and history relating to the South West Wales village of Brechfa and the local area. Information is also given on people for whom Brechfa has been the birthplace of, home to, or a place to stay a while.South Western Region of the Cambrian Mountains. Provides information on how the communities encircling Brechfa Forest are being supported by the Welsh Government to develop the local economy linked to developing Brechfa Forest as a tourist attraction.Provides information on local holiday accommodation.Provides information on man made and natural heritage of the area, waymarking information, and businesses in the 15 villages which surround Brechfa Forest and Llanllwni Mountain to help people plan days out in the forest and mountain.
{{Authority control Forests and woodlands of Carmarthenshire